As doors slam shut in Rob's face and behind SOC, a new door opens for the next Archers editor. Are we expecting some New Tricks, or just Archenders?

[PseudoBadger]

Welcome one and all. No spoilers please!

Tom and Kirsty had sex last Friday and now she's pregnant? Wow, Archers time is really powerful innit...

He shoots, he scores

Give that sausage boy talks exclusively in marketing guff, he probably described it as maximising exposure in the leg over sector and strategising the upduffing opportunities.

Just listened to tonight's episode ( only missed it because I had to attend a School Governor's meeting which started at 7pm, obviously not organised by an Archers listener).

Lovely to hear Kirsty and Helen sounding happy together. YY to very big hints that Kirsty is pregnant! I think the swimmers have had about 10 days to reach their target - & Kirsty hasn't realised yet.

Also, as others have said, just great to hear Joe and Bert chat about other Ambridge characters. It's almost as if SOC never existed 😀

Can't comment on tonight (or yesterday, actually, iPlayer was weird) but am I to understand that Dot is a ... nurse?

Wot, like Amy?

To quote a famously witty poster on a now deleted non-Archers thread I got no time for that.

Why does Hellin have to be such a bitch? Kirsty tells Jack he's a clever little boy and is immediately snapped at "honestly Kirsty you sound like you're talking to a dog". No wonder people don't like her. Otherwise a great episode.

I didn't hear snappiness. I'm also not blessed with the wildly fertile imagination most of you have when it comes to sex - every single time a heterosexual couple are known to have DTD in Ambridge, it leads to intense speculation here that the female will now be pregnant.

Re Dorothy being a nurse - that does ring a bell. We don't know for sure that she is black, but i agree that TA doesn't seem inclined to stray far from sterotypes when it comes to women from ethnic minorities.

Amy - mixed race woman, trains as a midwife
Dorothy - possibly black, trains as a nurse
Young Asian woman in the trial scene - trained as a pharmacist
Usha, Ugandan Asian - solicitor

Kirsty did sound like she was talking to a dog though - Probably she'd rather have a puppy than a baby like most sensible people who arent actually ttc

What about ethnic minority men? The only one I can think of was Ifty - teaching not a stereotype but obv good at cricket...

I thought Dorothy was a doctor? It is entirely possible that I magined this being mentioned though.

Perhaps a Twatterer could ask Keri Davies?

If try was a Maths teacher - so very stereotypical.

Clearly both Kirsty and the SWs need to do a bit of research re babies. Didn't Kirsty say "aw he's trying to lift his head!"? Jack must be 4 months now, surely a bit further along developmentally than that?

Jack is 4 months. Born the day after my twins so I follow his development carefully! Yes he still seems to be written as a teeny baby by SW - lots of sleeping and attempts to lift head. I think he may struggle to be with Rob for 3 hours though - mine still BF every two hours through the day and I haven't managed to be away from them that long yet!

I though Helen was snappy and mildly sarcastic to Kirsty. I agree she's not particularly likeable much of the time. Why is she like this?

Hi all. I've recently returned the the Archers after a long absence, due to the publicity around Helen's trial. It's amazing how quickly you can get sucked back in!

I dunno - its sort of good isnt it, that helen can interact normally with kirsy (isnt everyone a bit snappy and sarky sometimes?) after the months of repressing her speech with Rob but also others? Shes secure with kirsty.

Wondering if they are they setting up a 'Helen + Anna' meeting to discuss whether Helen should pursue the rape charges as a way of exploring a potential relationship there? I do think it would play into Rob's hands going down that route though as he was already hinting at a 'Helen + Kirsty' lesbian relationship in the trial. I guess he can't use it against her now that the trial is done … although would it feature in a divorce case?

I don't think Helen and Anna will ever get together. Perhaps they'll be friends if Anna sticks around but I really can't see anything else. One way or another I imagine Helen's going to end up in court again to conclude the 'public service' element of the cc story.

Welcome, peace, returners and delurkers always welcome here!

There's nothing in Helen's immediate past to suggest she is gay. I think it would be interesting to see a straight woman become platonically very close to a lesbian woman.

I suppose Jess will have received the same letter about making a complaint. I hope they both do it, however difficult.

but i agree that TA doesn't seem inclined to stray far from sterotypes when it comes to women from ethnic minorities.

I agree the Archers treatment of minority characters is heavy handed at best. A few years ago there was some event with a 'round the world' theme and one of the characters hoped Amy and Uses would turn up to give the event an international flavour (all the way from the far flung shores of Nottingham and Wolverhampton respectively)

I can only assume that if an African-Caribbean male character is introduced the Archers they will do so in their customary clumsy and insensitive way. He will be given a stereotypical name and will be the driver of the Ambridge to Felpersham bus service and will pop into the village shop for a can of Lilt and a Bounty bar.

Are Kirsty and Kathy still both employed at GG? And/or wouldn't Pat's erstewhile best friends come round to see the new baby sometime? Or is it too obvious that she's the one with the most direct experience of a rape trial , who presumably still feels guilty for not making a complaint before the rapist struck again?

The idea of Anna and Helen getting together is a bit odd IMO, Helen hasn't ever shown any signs of being gay. I suppose Anna on the rebound might feel too much emotional attachment to Helen ... I can envisage an awkward scene somewhere in the future but nothing more.

I don't get the Anna and Helen thing.

Anna is gay. Helen is not. I wasn't under the impression that you could 'become gay' any more than you could be cured of it.

an African-Caribbean male character is introduced the Archers

Wasn't there that drug-addicted homeless boy that Alan tried to save and prompted him to sleep in a tent in the churchyard? Or am I getting confused with someone else?

(Haven't had Lilt for ages - don't remember seeing it around for a while, though I haven't been looking. Want some now.)

Anna is gay. Helen is not. I wasn't under the impression that you could 'become gay' any more than you could be cured of it.

No, but if you've been in a traumatic relationship and someone seems to have been patient and caring and just nice to you and seems to understand how you're thinking, you might confuse the feelings you feel for love and attraction.

I don't think Helen is gay either, but have wondered whether the storyline is leading us that way a bit (or, as Errol says, maybe preparing for an awkward scene with Anna who might misunderstand the situation). My sister is gay and her wife has two children from her first marriage. I don't know whether it was a case of not realising how she felt when she married a man or whether her feelings changed …